EXCLUSIVE: Why Princess Kate is Feeling 'Deeply Disturbed' by Her and Prince Harry's Joint Stalker Terrors

Princess Kate has been left deeply disturbed after a series of security breaches near her family home, incidents that sources have told RadarOnline.com have stirred up her shared fears with Prince Harry about stalkers and personal safety, and forced urgent conversations behind palace doors.

The Princess of Wales, 44, and her husband, Prince William, 43, were shaken last month after an intruder twice entered the grounds of their Kensington Palace residence in London, just days before Christmas.

The breaches, which occurred on December 21 and 23, have heightened anxiety within the household and prompted renewed scrutiny of royal security arrangements.

While the family was not at the palace at the time, the incidents had a profound emotional impact, particularly on Kate.

A source familiar with the situation said the experience was "deeply disturbing" for Kate and went far beyond a routine security scare.

"This was not something they could dismiss as a brief security hiccup," an insider close to the family said. "The moment someone crossed into what is supposed to be the safest space they have, it completely shattered that feeling of protection."

The source added: "Kate was profoundly shaken by it, finding herself lying awake at night replaying every possible outcome and imagining how much worse it could have been. In the aftermath, she was very clear with William that she refuses to allow fear to dictate how they raise their children or live their lives, even as the threat feels uncomfortably real."

The intruder, Derek Egan, 39, allegedly climbed over a fence carrying a heavy rucksack before being arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police Royal and Specialist Protection Command.

He has been charged with two counts of trespassing.

The Wales family still uses Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace as their London base, despite relocating primarily to Forest Lodge in Windsor during the October half-term break last year.

The latest incident follows a series of security scares involving the family.

In October 2024, two masked intruders crashed through a gate and scaled a six-foot fence at Windsor Castle while William and Kate were sleeping nearby at Adelaide Cottage with their children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.

In June last year, another individual was arrested on suspicion of trespass and possession of class A drugs at the same site.

The recent scares have also made Kate more empathetic toward Harry, 41, whose own security fears have dominated his relationship with the U.K. since stepping back from royal duties.

Harry, who lives in California with Meghan Markle, 44, and their children Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 4, has long argued reduced police protection leaves his family exposed.

Last week, sources said Harry had secured increased security following incidents in which a known stalker came within proximity during a visit to London, including inside his recent High Court hearing in which he is battling the media over alleged intrusions into his private life.

An insider said the situation reinforced Kate's sense of shared vulnerability with her exiled brother-in-law.

They added: "Seeing events unfold this way brought the fear into sharp focus for her. What had once felt like a theoretical discussion about security suddenly became something visceral and immediate, driven by a parent's instinct to protect.

"In that moment, Kate truly grasped why Harry has been so relentless about the issue of security and why he felt he had no choice but to push as hard as he did."

"She also hated reading about how one of his stalkers managed to be inside the court with him last week and has real empathy about the terror it must have made him feel," the source noted.

Harry has previously said: "The U.K. is my home. The U.K. is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home."

But he added "that cannot happen" if "it's not possible to keep them safe when they are on U.K. soil."

Those close to the Waleses said the recent events have helped strip away old resentments.

One source said, "When fear enters the picture, it has a way of wiping away old arguments and distractions. For Kate, the experience has been profoundly unsettling on a personal level, but it has also opened the door to a new kind of empathy.

"Living through that anxiety herself has given her a clearer understanding of how consuming and unrelenting those fears can be."